research methods

• what is a case study?

  a thorough study of a single person, community or event that relies on observations, facts and experiments to gather information
• advantages of using case studies

  1. provide detailed information about individuals
  2. record behaviour over time so that changes in behaviour can be seen
• disadvantages of using case studies

  1. data collected can be very subjective. psychologist could be biased, content of case study may be unreliable
  2. the information from the case study cannot be applied to anyone as it is unique
  3. ethical issues as the person being studied may be vulnerable due to psychological problems
• situational variables

  several factors are influenced by level of obedience. all related to external circumstances rather than personalities involved
• participant variable

  characteristics of an individual participant (age) that might influence the outcome of a study
• demand characteristics

  subtle hints that suggest to the participant what the experimenter predicts or hopes to find in the study
• What is the purpose of randomisation in research studies?

  To reduce the effects of bias from investigator effects
• What are situational variables in the context of research?

  Factors influenced by external circumstances rather than the personalities involved
• What are participant variables?

  Characteristics of individual participants, such as age, that might influence the outcome of a study
• How do investigator variables affect research outcomes?

  The experimenter unconsciously conveys to participants how they should behave
• What are demand characteristics in research?

  Subtle hints that suggest to participants what the experimenter predicts or hopes to find
• How do demand characteristics influence the outcome of an experiment?

  They motivate participants to conform to the experimenter's expectations, thus changing the outcome
• What are investigator effects?

  Any effect of the investigator's behavior on the research outcome
• What is the purpose of standardisation in research?

  To use the exact same formalised procedure and instructions for every participant
• What does mundane realism refer to in research?

  The extent to which an experiment is similar to everyday situations
• What is a pilot study?

  A small-scale version of an investigation done before the real investigation to identify potential problems
• How does a single-blind procedure help in research?

  It avoids demand characteristics by not informing participants if they are receiving a test or control treatment
• What is a double-blind procedure?

  A test where neither the participants nor the experimenter know who is receiving a particular treatment
• What is a placebo?

  Any treatment that has no active properties, such as a sugar pill
• What are the key components of a well-designed experiment?

  • Randomisation to reduce bias
  • Control of situational and participant variables
  • Use of standardised procedures
  • Implementation of single-blind and double-blind procedures
  • Conducting pilot studies to identify issues
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of using a pilot study?

  Strengths:

  • Identifies potential problems
  • Allows modification of procedures
  • Saves money and time

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • May not fully represent the larger study
  • Results may not be generalizable
• extraneous variable

  any other variable rather than the IV that could affect the dependant
• confounding variable

  uncontrolled variable that produces an unwanted effect on dependant variable so distorts the findings
• what are the 6 ethic problems

  consent, confidentiality, privacy, protection from harm, deception, right to withdraw
• what are the 4 types of experimental methods?

  lab, field, natural, quasi
• what is directional hypothesis?

  when a prediction is made about the specific effects of an experimental variable or treatment
• what is a non directional hypothesis?

  does not predict the direction of the difference or relationship
• what is a lab experiment?

  IV is manipulated by researcher. highly controlled experiments carried out in artificial environments
• what is a field experiment?

  IV is manipulated by researcher. experiments carried out in natural environment
• what is a natural experiment?

  IV has been manipulated naturally. when researcher takes advantage of pre existing IV
• what is a quasi experiment?when researcher takes advantage of pre existing difference between people. eg age and gender
• how does the independent group design work?

  randomly put into groups. group takes part in one condition of IV
• how does matched pairs design work?

  pre test to match participants in each group. participants take part in one condition of IV
• how does repeated measures work?

  everyone does condition A and B of IV
• how does RM with counterbalancing work?

  everyone completes both conditions but the starting order is different
• what is central tendency?


  averages
• what is measures of dispersion?


  range or standard deviation